Nick Scolaro
Annotated Bibliography on Matt 19:1-6
22 February 2000

Aland, Kurt. Synopsis of the Four Gospels. United Bible Societies. 1985. This is a side by side comparison of the four Gospels.

Bonner, D. "Jesus' Sermon on Divorce." Journal of Theological Studies 35 (1984): 509-510.

Boring, Eugene M., Klaus Berger, and Carsten Colpe. Hellenistic Commentary to the New Testament. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1995. This commentary looks mostly at the parallels in the book of Corinthians. They only touch on the actual passage of Mark 10:2-12 in the same section of Matt 19:3-9, another parallel.

Burge, Gary M. "You're Divorced -- Can You Remarry?" Christianity Today 43, 11 (1999): 82-83. Burge claims that if scholars look at all the passages in the Second Testament, they will see that they are a great deal more demanding on both parties. Furthermore, he claims that in the Gospel of Mark Jesus does not keep the law separate for women and men as would have customarily been done in Jewish tradition.

Cornes, Andrew. Divorce and Remarriage: Biblical Principles and Pastoral Practice. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. 1993. In the Gospel of Mark, Cornes breaks up Jesus' teaching into six parts: the place, the question, the counter-question, the moral obligation not to divorce, the impossibility of any true divorce or remarriage and the wife. Cornes' main point is that the man has just the same freedom, which is not much, as the woman in times of divorce.

Darby, John. John Darby's Synopsis of the New Testament. http://www.biblestudytools.net/Commentaries/DarbysSynopsisofNewTestament/dby, cgi? book=mr&chapter:l 0. (31 January 2000).

Heth, William A. and, Gordon J. Wenham. Jesus and Divorce. London: Hodder and Stoughton. 1984. Heth and Gordon focus mostly on Matt 19. They talk a lot about the way in which the gospels are written, the word choices and placements. The idea that Jesus was specifically talking about adultery and not just a generic 'for whatever reason' for the right situation for divorce is touched on.

Karris, Robert J. Collegeville Bible Commentary. Collegeville, MN: Order of St. Benedict Inc. 1983. Karris points out two main points to the beginning of Mark 10. He writes that Mark has a certain climax to his Gospel which is for Jesus to set up a model for Christians. There are three points that build to this climax, one of which is MK10:2-12. The second point he makes is that this pericope is the earliest tradition of daily living practices.

Lane, William. Commentary on the Gospel of Mark. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. 1974. Lane talks about the two schools of Hillel and Shammai. He makes a few waves by saying that Jesus may have not been talking about divorce but of desertion. Lane also touches on the political situation of Herodias and Antipas which should have probably been laid out more clearly.

Laymon, Charles M. The Interpreter's One-Volume Commentary on the Bible. Abingdon. 1971. Laymon focuses a great deal on vv. 6-8 and 1 Cor 6:15-16 discussing consummation. He claims that Jesus did not necessarily say or imply that consummation was necessary, just that it comes from sources such as 1 Corinthians. The 1 Corinthians message is what stuck in many church teachings. Laymon ends with a few intriguing questions that are not addressed.

New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Mahwah, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1968. This commentary points out that MK 10 2-12 does not have the exception that MT 19:9 has: "...whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) and marries another commits adultery." Jesus would have probably not included the exception because of Jesus' teaching on the indissolubility of marriage.

Robertson, RT. Robertson's Word Pictures of the New Testament. http://www.biblestudytools.net/Commentaries/RobertsonsWordPictures/rwp.cgi?book=m r&chapter~l 0 (31 January 2000). Robertson does not offer lengthy commentaries but he brings up noteworthy points. He says that the addition of MT 19:9 does not have any bearing on the meaning of Mark's rendition. What is important is what Mark includes. He is sure to include that breaking the sexual union is the only way that a marriage can be annulled.

Sutton, Stanley, R. The Teaching of Jesus on Divorce and Remarriage. 1982. Sutton wrote this as a thesis for a masters degree in New Testament Scholarship. He states very explicitly that Jesus is teaching, in Mark, that divorce is completely indissoluble except in cases of infidelity.